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• Exploring PLS in energy research, revealing applications and addressing challenges. • Tackling limitations in PLS implementation, considering confounding variables, sample sizes, and integration. • Beyond replication issues, focusing on reliability, multi-physics phenomena, and optimized designs. • Balancing thermal, fluid, and electrical factors, enhancing PLS performance across energy applications. • Innovative fabrication techniques, scaling up PLS production for efficient, cost-effective energy solutions. Lattice structures, with their exceptional characteristics such as high specific strength and stiffness, thermal insulation, and biocompatibility, find a wide range of applications including bio-medical, thermal, automobile and aerospace industry. This study explores their potential for energy research, provides an overview of Periodic lattice structure (PLS) design and fabrication, and classifies them based on their energy function. It aims to provide insights into the potential applications, advancements, challenges, and future directions related to PLS implementation in energy research. The study categorized the recent advances and challenges of using PLS in energy conversion, storage, and transport applications and examines the challenges and limitations associated with them. The challenges and limitations include problems related to study design, reproducibility, sample sizes, multi-physics phenomena, integration with other energy storage components, interdisciplinary research, manufacturing accuracy, durability, scalability, and economic feasibility. Future research directions are suggested to address these challenges and opportunities, such as evaluating PLS performance on a broader scale, developing accurate modeling techniques, investigating underlying mechanisms, utilizing multi-physics modeling tools, examining long-term performance, exploring practical applications, and exploring alternative fabrication methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning provides a probabilistic framework for metabolic pathway inference from genomic sequence information at different levels of complexity and completion. However, several challenges, including pathway features engineering, multiple mapping of enzymatic reactions, and emergent or distributed metabolism within populations or communities of cells, can limit prediction performance. In this article, we present triUMPF (triple non-negative matrix factorization [NMF] with community detection for metabolic pathway inference), which combines three stages of NMF to capture myriad relationships between enzymes and pathways within a graph network. This is followed by community detection to extract a higher-order structure based on the clustering of vertices that share similar statistical properties. We evaluated triUMPF performance by using experimental datasets manifesting diverse multi-label properties, including Tier 1 genomes from the BioCyc collection of organismal Pathway/Genome Databases and low complexity microbial communities. Resulting performance metrics equaled or exceeded other prediction methods on organismal genomes with improved precision on multi-organismal datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Absolute partial and total electron ionization cross sections for uracil in the gas phase as a function of energy up to 500 eV are measured using the well-known relative flow technique (RFT). These measurements have significant consequences for the study of radiation damage, tests of several theoretical models and application of the RFT for molecules existing in solid form at room temperature. Also presented are the thresholds for the formation of various fragment ions from uracil and the comparison of total ionization cross section with the existing results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: BRAF is one of the most commonly mutated proto-oncogenes and plays a significant role in the development of numerous cancers of high clinical impact. Due to the commonality of BRAF mutations, a number of BRAF inhibitors have been developed as tools in the management of patients with cancers dependent on the action of mutant BRAF to drive cellular proliferation. In this review, we examine the current state of clinical trials and laboratory research concerning BRAF inhibitors in development and available for clinical use. We contrast the effectiveness of type-I and type-II BRAF inhibitors, the former typically showing much more restricted inhibitory selectivity and greater patient response rates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ever since the discovery of the Soret effect, numerous experimental and theoretical works have been accomplished to understand the phenomena in terms of scientific interpretation. There is published review articles existed focusing in different aspects of Soret effect such as, experimental techniques, theoretical approaches, and combination of both theoretical and experimental approaches. However, most of the articles focused on recent or short era only. It is essential for the novice researchers to have historical or chronological database of the works already done by others. In the contemporary study, a historical database of experimental and theoretical works has been offered. Major challenges, limitations, and technical hitches of performing experiments on ground (earth) condition has been selected, and cautiously deliberated. Contemporary experimental works performed in microgravity environment have been incorporated. All of the experimental methodologies and theoretical models have been addressed briefly. However, because of its popularity remarkable attention has been focused on the experiments with optical techniques, and theoretical models based on non-equilibrium thermodynamics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Measurement of thermodiffusion coefficient using interferometry. [•] Measurement of thermodiffusion coefficient using theoretical approach. [•] Digital Image processing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effervescent atomization from an industrial Coker feed nozzle is compared for two different gas densities (air and mixed gas of 81.4vol.% helium/18.6vol.% nitrogen) at equivalent operating temperatures. The application is to observe the similarity of lab tests using air at 20°C to the industrial process using steam at 300–400°C. The effects of operating conditions, such as gas to liquid mass ratio, mixing pressure and void fraction on the flow regime, bubble size, and droplet size distribution were also examined in this study. The experiments were performed using mixtures of water with air or mixed gas, which resulted in gas to liquid mass ratios ranging from 1% to 4%. Stroboscopic back scattered imagery (SBSI) indicates that the average bubble size inside the nozzle conduit is similar when air and water are used as the process fluids, when compared to the case when mixed gas and water are used as the process fluids. Under similar conditions, the Phase Doppler Particle Anemometer (PDPA) data indicate that the droplet size in the spray is similar when using either mixed gas or air as the atomization gas. Experimental results obtained by high-speed video shadowgraphy (HSVS) indicate that the flow pattern inside the nozzle feeding conduit was slug flow with a tendency to attain annular flow with increased air to liquid mass ratios. Thus, from the experimental results it is evident that the smaller molecular weight of the mixed gas versus air (8.4 versus 29) does not significantly reduce the bubble (<±10% difference) and droplet size (<±1.5% difference), indicating a weak dependence of the gas phase density on two-phase atomization. This confirms that laboratory experiments on effervescent nozzles using air have reliable similarity to systems that use high temperature steam for the gas phase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study, CuO/CeO2 catalysts with a Cu content ranging from 5% to 40% were synthesized by sol–gel Pechini method and were tested in a fixed-bed reactor for water gas shift (WGS) reaction. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption isotherms at 77K (S BET) and H2-TPR. Based on the catalytic activity results, 10% CuO/CeO2, identified to be the most active catalyst, was deposited inside finger-like regions of an Al2O3 hollow fibre support for the further development of both catalytic hollow fibre micro-reactor (CHFMR) and catalytic hollow fibre membrane micro-reactor (CHFMMR) where Pd or Pd/Ag membrane was coated on the outer layer of the Al2O3 hollow fibre using a single or multilayer electroless plating (ELP) technique. The prepared catalytic membranes were characterized by SEM, EDX, and pure H2 and Ar permeation. Also, a comparative study of the CO conversion obtained in the WGS reaction as a function of the reaction temperature (from 200°C to 500°C) in a fixed-bed reactor, a CHFMR, a Pd-CHFMMR and a Pd/Ag-CHFMMR, was performed showing that the conversion was highest in the Pd/Ag-CHFMMR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Al2O3 hollow fibres fabricated by phase-inversion, followed by sintering at different temperatures (1350, 1400 and 1450°C) have been employed for the further development of a novel catalytic hollow fibre micro-reactor (CHFMR). After depositing with a 10%CuO/CeO2 catalyst, the catalytic activity of the CHFMR has been compared with that of a conventional fixed-bed reactor using water gas shift (WGS) as a sample reaction. The deposition of catalyst into the finger-like voids was carried out using the sol–gel Pechini method. The Al2O3 hollow fibres were characterized before and after catalyst deposition by BET surface area analysis, Hg porosimetry and SEM–EDS. The catalytic activity tests were performed at P =1atm and between T =200 and 400°C. It has been observed that the dispersion of the 10%CuO/CeO2 catalyst within the Al2O3 hollow fibres is strongly dependent on the physical and chemical properties of the fibre surface, which are determined by the sintering temperature. Finally, an increase of 20% in the CO conversion of the WGS reaction was observed for the CHFMR when compared with a conventional fixed-bed reactor, since the finger like structure of Al2O3 hollow fibres (D p =10μm) acts as a micro-reactor and improves the heat and mass transfer, and the mixing of gases during the reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This article describes development of a catalytic hollow fibre membrane micro-reactor (CHFMMR) for high purity H2 production. Asymmetric Al2O3 hollow fibres produced by a phase-inversion and sintering technique were employed as a single substrate for both coating of the Pd membrane and impregnation of the 30%CuO/CeO2 catalyst. The Pd membrane was first deposited onto the outer layer of Al2O3 hollow fibre using the electroless plating (ELP) technique, followed by impregnation of the 30%CuO/CeO2 catalyst into the inner finger-like structure of the substrate using the sol–gel Pechini method. Performance of the proposed reactor was carried out using water gas shift (WGS) reaction as a sample reaction. A comparative study of conversion obtained in the WGS reaction as a function of the reaction temperature (from 200°C to 500°C) in a fixed-bed reactor, a catalytic hollow fibre micro-reactor (CHFMR) and the CHFMMR using different flow rates of a sweep gas (from 45 to 70ml/min) was performed, concluding that the conversion is the highest in the CHFMMR. It is important to highlight that, at 500°C and a sweep gas flow rate of 75ml/min, a conversion of 17% higher than the corresponding thermodynamic equilibrium conversion was achieved in the CHFMMR. In the operation of the CHFMMR, high purity H2 has been obtained in the shell side, which was 78% of the total H2 produced in the WGS reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel catalytic hollow fibre membrane microreactor (CHFMMR), consisting of a thin Pd layer and a 30%CuO/CeO2 catalyst supported on an asymmetric Al2O3 hollow fibre has been developed. In the preparation of the CHFMMR, the Pd layer was deposited on outer surface of the hollow fibre substrate by electroless plating first, followed by impregnation of 30%CuO/CeO2 catalyst in the finger pores located in the inner surface of the hollow fibre lumen by sol–gel coating. The catalytic activity of the CHFMMR was tested using water–gas shift (WGS) reaction and compared to that of a catalytic hollow fibre microreactor (CHFMR) and a conventional fixed-bed reactor. The catalytic activity tests were performed at 1atm and from 200°C to 500°C using different flow rates of sweep gas (from 50 to 75ml/min). The ratio between CO and H2O in the feed was 1 to 0.5 with a space velocity of 80lg−1 h−1. The conversion obtained in the CHFMMR is 35% higher than that in the conventional fixed-bed reactor. Furthermore, a conversion which was 17% higher than the corresponding thermodynamic equilibrium conversion was achieved in the CHFMMR, at 500°C with a sweep gas flow rate of 75ml/min. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Anion formation by electron impact from CF4 has been studied experimentally in the range 0–30eV electron energy. F− and CF3 − anions were observed while F2 − ions, if any, were below the detection limit. The resonance peaks for F− and CF3 − were measured to be 6.5 and 7.1eV, respectively. Only F− is produced via the ion pair formation channel and the yield varies monotonically with energy above the threshold. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) has an important place in the aquaculture of the developing world. It is also a very useful laboratory animal, and readily lends itself to the transgenic technology. Through the use of reporter genes, a range of potential gene promoters have been tested in tilapia, both through transient and stable expression of the reporter construct. Using the transgenic technology, growth enhanced lines of tilapia have been produced. These fish have no abnormalities and offer a considerable growth advantage for future exploitation. It is however crucial that transgenic fish, to be exploited in aquaculture, be sterile, and various methods of achieving sterility are considered. These include triploidy, gene knock out of crucial hormone encoding genes via homologous recombination, and knock down of the function of the same genes via ribozyme or antisense technologies.Transgenic tilapia also offer the potential for exploitation as biofactories in the production of valuable pharmaceutical products, and this is also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents a novel approach of speed control for a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) using on-line self-tuning artificial neural network (ANN). Motor dynamics and nonlinear load characteristics; Implementation of the complete drive system.

Presents a paper which identifies a novel technique to distinguish between magnetizing inrush and internal fault currents of a power transformer. Basing of the proposed differential algorithm on artificial neural network (ANN); Importance of transformer protection; Details on the experiment and its findings.

Reports on the design and implementation of a stand-alone digital relay, which can be modified easily to accommodate the protection of different types of transformers. Challenges faced by relay designers in the protection of three phase power transformers; Details on the digital relay system which was proposed in the paper.

Presents a modelling and controller design of an isolated diesel engine permanent magnet synchronous generator. Use of a fixed capacitor-thyristor controlled reactor scheme to regulate the generator terminal voltage; Analysis of the steady-state performance of a stand-alone permanent magnet synchronous generator.

The miniaturization of electronic devices has facilitated increasing interest in new applications of wireless communication. In this paper, a new miniature microstrip fed boomerang-shaped patch antenna has been proposed and designed for a wireless sensor network (WSN) application. In this design, the proposed antenna possesses a wide bandwidth by loading of a boomerang-shaped patch; with a 50 Ω microstrip feed line and a partial ground plane. A one-step staircase slot is embedded in the ground plane to enhance the impedance matching over a wide frequency range. The antenna occupies a small size of 10 × 12 mm2, or 1.2 cm2. The simulated results are verified with measured results. The measured result shows that the achievable bandwidth of 69% (8.48–17.45 GHz). The antenna possesses stable radiation patterns and acceptable gain. The proposed low profile antenna is suitable to integrate with sensors for wireless sensor network in X-band and Ku band applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four types of liquid‐metal‐based tunable capacitors with a high tuning range are demonstrated. The capacitors are easily fabricated by placing a pair of liquid‐metal‐filled tubes in contact with one another. Tunability is achieved by varying the length of the liquid metal in one of the tubes using a mechanical pump. Four different structures are demonstrated: parallel‐tube, folded‐tube, coil, and spiral capacitors. The highest measured tuning ratio is 42:1, and the highest change in capacitance per unit length of the pumped liquid metal is 0.07 pF/mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An understanding of the transport and dynamics of two fluids in porous media, as well as the bubbly flow regime, is important for many engineering applications, such as enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method, drilling technology, multiphase production system, etc. In this respect, the dependence of capillary stresses on the excess free-energy of a thin interfacial layer formed by two immiscible fluids is not fully clear, particularly in porous media. Of particular interests are the closure models for interphase forces which often hinder the reliable prediction of the homogeneous flow regime. This article presents a multiphase Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study of bubbles in homogeneous porous media to model the flow of oil and gas, and investigates a closure model that is based on the Allen-Cahn phase-field method, where the capillary stress is derived from the excess free-energy. The governing dynamics is simulated with the volume averaged Navier-Stokes equations extended for multiphase flow in porous media. The equations have been discretized by a wavelet transform method to accurately capture the topological change of the fluid-fluid interface. To validate the closure model for interphase forces, the results of the present phase-field method have been compared with that from experiments, as well as from reference numerical models. An excellent agreement among the results from present phase-field simulations, experiments, and some reference numerical simulations has been observed. The terminal velocity of the rising gas bubble in a liquid saturated porous medium, as well as in a pure liquid has been investigated. The bubble rising velocity in both cases have been compared with respect to the theoretical and experimental results. The study illustrates how the bubble dynamics in porous media depend on the excess free energy of a thin interfacial layer formed by two immiscible fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image contrast enhancement and brightness preservation are fundamental requirements for many vision based applications. However, these are two conflicting objectives when the image is processed by histogram equalization approaches. Current available methods may not provide results simultaneously satisfying both requirements. In this work, a pipelined approach including color channel stretching, histogram averaging and re-mapping is developed. By using stretching, color information from a scene is restored. Averaging against a uniform distribution enables the output image to recover the information lost. Furthermore, histogram re-mapping reduces artifacts that often arise from the equalization procedure. The technique also employs a search process to find optimal algorithmic parameters, such that the mean brightness difference between the input and output images is minimized. The effectiveness of the proposed method was tested with a set of images captured in adverse environments and compared against available methods. High performing qualitative and quantitative results were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing ZIF-8 into the PES-cSMM membranes played a pivotal role in the development of proton-conducting pathways and an effective methanol barrier. We employed dry-wet phase inversion techniques to fabricate PES-cSMM, finding that a 3 wt% cSMM content yielded optimal results. The resulting PES-cSMM exhibits impressive performance, with a 38% higher selectivity and a 95% greater methanol barrier compared to Nafion® 117. The imidazole-N-H linker in the terminal PES-cSMM/ZIF-8 promotes proton transport through a hydrogen bond chain, while the hydrophobic backbone acts as an effective methanol filter. As a result, PES-cSMM/ZIF-8 boasts a 13-fold higher water uptake than Nafion® 117 and achieves a 99% improvement in methanol sieving performance, a highly promising breakthrough for DMFC systems. Proton conductivity for the PES-cSMM/ZIF-8 immersion membrane reaches 19.5 × 10-3 Scm-1, comparable to Nafion® 117, which is 20.4 × 10-3 Scm-1. The structural flexibility of ZIF-8 within PES-cSMM facilitates efficient proton conduction, while the ZIF-8 cage acts as a robust methanol barrier. Computational analysis revealed covalent bonding within the PES-cSMM system. We characterized the chemical interactions in PES-cSMM/ZIF-8 using topology analysis, specifically the Atom in Molecules/Non-covalent analysis (AIM/NCI) technique. [Display omitted] • PES-cSMM made via dry-wet phase inversion; ZIF-8 added in-situ by growth immersion technique. • PES-cSMM/ZIF-8 shows promise in reducing methanol crossover, with good selectivity, stability, and proton conductivity for DMFC. • Proton transport occurs through non-covalent interactions with exposed sulfonic acid groups on the cSMMs within the membrane. • Computational findings suggest ZIF-8 interacts with methanol mainly via van der Waals forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The present work provides a summary of the state of the art of using asymmetric ceramic hollow fibres as substrates for inorganic dense membranes and/or catalysts, in the development of new hollow fibre reactors for heterogeneous catalytic gas phase reactions. Three different hollow fibre reactor designs were studied; a hollow fibre membrane reactor (HFMR), a catalytic hollow fibre micro-reactor (CHFMR) and a catalytic hollow fibre membrane micro-reactor (CHFMMR). The performance of the HFMR, CHFMR and CHFMMR in different reactions such as methanol steam reforming (MSR), dry reforming of methane (DRM) and water gas shift (WGS) was compared with that of a traditional fixed-bed reactor configuration. A Pd-based membrane (thickness of approximately 5μm) was deposited on the outer surface of the asymmetric ceramic hollow fibres using an electroless plating technique, in the development of both the HFMR and CHFMMR. The Pd-based membranes showed high H2 permeability ( at T =450°C and ΔP =1bar) and infinite H2 selectivity under the different reaction conditions studied. The catalyst was deposited on the walls of finger-like region of the asymmetric ceramic hollow fibres by the sol–gel Pechini method, in the development of the CHFMR and CHFMMR. The CHFMMR, which showed a performance 2.5 times higher than that in a traditional fixed-bed reactor, is proposed as a key step in the intensification of heterogeneous catalytic gas phase processes by integration of membrane-reactor and micro-reactor technologies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) cross sections for NH3 and CH4 are measured in a crossed beam apparatus with special care to eliminate discrimination due to kinetic energy and angular distribution of the fragment ions. The cross sections are put on absolute scale using the relative flow technique. The absolute cross sections for the formation of H− and NH2 − from ammonia and H− and CH2 − from methane are compared with available data from literature. It is seen that the present results are considerably different from what has been reported before. We also compare the cross sections of the H− channel from these molecules along with that from H2O to those from organic molecules containing alkyl, amino and hydroxyl groups to examine the extent to which the recently observed functional group dependence in the DEA contributes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper we report on measurements of the MI effect in some Co-based commercial ribbons. The impedance of the amorphous ribbons is found to be a very strong function of the drive current frequency. It is also observed that at frequencies higher than 100 kHz, this response becomes sensitive to the application of a dc magnetic field that leads to a maximum value for the MI effect at an applied dc magnetic field higher than the saturation magnetic field of the samples. At frequencies above 100 kHz, the transverse ac field interacts with the longitudinal dc field due to the movement or realignment of the magnetic domains. Thus, the dc magnetic field modifies the ac permeability of the ribbon. Since amorphous ferromagnetic ribbons show nonlinear relationship between the applied dc magnetic field and the magnetic induction, the ac permeability does not change linearly with the applied dc magnetic field. The impedance of the ribbon strongly depends on the coupling of ac field with transverse domains and shows nonlinear relationship with dc magnetic field. It is also observed that the maximum MI ratio varies strongly with the frequency and with the amplitude of the ac drive current. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Development of various NiZnCu ferrite compositions extends their applications by identifying the magnetic properties such as the high initial permeability at high frequencies. Copper substitutes in NiZnCu ferrite has larger ionic radius than does Ni2+ and different preferences for the two sublattices in the spinel structure, and their incorporation in the matrix of the NiZn ferrites can change many properties due to cation distribution and modification. The addition of copper in this composition has been known to play a crucial role in reducing the firing temperature. In this paper, a review on the effect of copper substitution in NiZn ferrite on microstructure and composition related magnetic and electric properties have been presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With the development of the information technology in all areas of present life, high-density data storage devices are in great demand. Currently, the bit dimension is below a micron and in the future will approach the nanoscale level. At present, not many theoretical approaches are available to explain the magnetic information storage properties at nanoscale level, as there is a lack of experimental data for example. This is due to difficulty in implementing measurement techniques for magnetic properties at this low scale. In this article, we have presented a short review of the most used methods to represent the physical behaviour at microscale level. Our goal was to apply some of these methods at a nanoscale range, where the physical properties change dramatically and various physical effects cannot be neglected that are not considered at micron scale. Some of the results regarding the simulation of magnetic properties of the nanostructured patterned media and comparison with experimental data are also presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The development of the clean synthesis of efficient bimetallic Pt-Pd alloy nanoparticles supported reduced graphene oxide (RGO) catalyst (RGO/Pt-Pd) through a facile, rapid, surfactant–free and novel one-pot process of chemical reduction-assisted hydrothermal reaction using formic acid as reducing agent have been introduced. The structural, elemental composition analysis and surface morphology of the as-prepared catalysts were extensively characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), respectively. The electrochemical properties, catalytic activity and long-term stability performance of the RGO/Pt-Pd nanocomposite catalyst were employed by cyclic voltammogram and chronoamperometry. Furthermore, owing to the synergetic effects of Pt and Pd nanoparticles, the unique structure of Pt-Pd alloy nanoparticles and enhanced electron transfer by RGO, the as-synthesized RGO/Pt-Pd nanocomposite catalyst has demonstrated the enlarged electrochemical surface area (ECSA) (ECSA = 0.91 cm2), remarkably higher electro-catalytic activity (I f = 59.6 mA/cm2) and enhanced stability as compared to RGO/Pt (I f = 23.32 mA/cm2, ECSA = 0.18 cm2) and RGO/Pd (I f = 8.65 mA/cm2, ECSA = 0.11 cm2) nanocomposite catalysts toward methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). This superior catalytic activity of the as-prepared RGO/Pt-Pd nanocomposite catalyst with facile and simple preparation approach is promising a great opportunity for the development of direct methanol fuel cell. • RGO/Pt-Pd was produced by novel one-pot hydrothermal-assisted chemical reduction. • This one-pot hydrothermal-assisted chemical reduction method is effective, rapid and simple. • Formic acid was used as soft and non-metal reductant in the reaction process, without any surfactant or template. • Uniform Pt-Pd alloy nanoparticles supported on RGO formation were confirmed by HRTEM, XRD and XPS. • The as-synthesized nanocomposites exhibit superior catalytic activity and enhanced stability for methanol oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) antigens in glioblastoma (GBM) present opportunities for personalised immunotherapy. However, their presence in GBM tissue is still under debate, and evidence of their impact on functional immune responses and prognosis is sparse. Here, we investigated the presence of pp65 (UL83) and immediate early 1 (IE-1) HCMV antigens in a cohort of Norwegian GBM patients (n= 177), using qPCR, immunohistochemistry, and serology. HCMV status was then used to investigate whether viral antigens influenced immune cell phenotype, infiltration, activation and patient survival. Pp65 and IE-1 were detected by qPCR in 23% and 43% of GBM patients, respectively. Furthermore, there was increased seropositivity in GBM patients relative to donors (79%vs. 48%, respectively; Logistic regression, OR = 4.05, 95%CI [1.807-9.114],P= 0.001, also when adjusted for age (OR = 2.84, 95%CI [1.110-7.275],P= 0.029). Tissue IE-1-positivity correlated with increased CD3+CD8+T-cell infiltration (P< 0.0001), where CD8+effector memory T (TEM) cells accounted for the majority of CD8+T cells compared with peripheral blood of HCMV+patients (P< 0.0001), and HCMV+(P< 0.001) and HCMV−(P< 0.001) donors. HLA-A2/B8-restricted HCMV-specific CD8+T cells were more frequent in blood and tumor of HCMV+GBM patients compared with seronegative patients, and donors irrespective of their serostatus. In biopsies, the HCMV-specific CD8+TEMcells highly expressed CTLA-4 and PD-1 immune checkpoint protein markers compared with populations in peripheral blood (P< 0.001 andP< 0.0001), which expressed 3-fold greater levels of CD28 (P< 0.001 andP< 0.0001). These peripheral blood T cells correspondingly secreted higher levels of IFNγ in response to pp65 and IE-1 peptide stimulation (P< 0.001). Thus, despite apparent increased immunogenicity of HCMV compared with tumor antigens, the T cells were tolerised, and HCMV status did not impact patient survival (Log Rank3.53HR = 0.85 95%CI [0.564-1.290],P =0.45). Enhancing immune functionality in the tumor microenvironment thus may improve patient outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Background: b Rabies is a neglected zoonotic disease causing approximately 59,000 human deaths globally, losses of over 3.7 million disability-adjusted life years and $8.6 billion per year. So, the study aimed to estimate the direct and indirect cost associated with human and animal rabies cases in Bangladesh. As humans and animals are mostly infected by dog bites, the cost-effectiveness of mass dog vaccination should be examined to inform policy planning and risk mitigation of rabies in Bangladesh. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: Water absorption of natural fibre plastic composites is a serious concern especially for their potential outdoor applications. In this research, jute fibre reinforced with unsaturated polyester composites are subjected to water immersion tests in order to study the effects of water absorption in its mechanical properties. Water absorption tests were conducted by immersing composite specimens into three different environmental conditions included distilled water, sea water and acidic solutions at room temperature for a period up to 3 weeks. Water absorption curves obtained and characteristic parameter D (diffusion coefficient) and Mm (maximum moisture content) were determined. The water absorption of jute fibre reinforced unsaturated polyester composites were found to follow a so-called pseudo-Fickian behaviour. The effects of the immersion treatment on the flexural and compression characteristics were investigated. The flexural and compression properties were found to decrease with the increase in percentage water uptake. These flexural and compression behaviours were explained by the plasticization of the matrix–fibre interface and swelling of the jute fibres. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper reports results of further investigation of the so-called direct torque control (DTC) technique to an interior permanent magnet (IPM) synchronous motor drive. This torque control technique for IPM motors requires no dq-axes current controllers and coordinate transformation networks. A completely sensorless IPM motor drive with DTC, which uses a new speed estimator from the stator flux linkage vector and the torque angle, is presented. It is shown that including the torque angle in the estimation process results in a far more accurate transient speed estimator than what is reported in the existing literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous strategies for mitigating ammonia volatilization (AV) from agricultural land have been investigated with limited evaluation of their efficacy and response to differing field conditions across China. Therefore, this meta-analysis seeks to draw conclusions about AV in China, and assess the effect of crop type (wheat, maize, and rice as staple crops), climatic conditions, and soil properties on AV and variations in responses that can guide selection of appropriate strategies under different conditions. Novel analysis indicates nitrogen (NH 3 –N) losses of 7.62 Tg due to AV from these three crops in China. AV is 12.8 and 18.0% (95% CI) higher from maize than from wheat and rice, respectively, without N application under warm and sub-humid conditions (MM), and 13.8 and 2.8% higher under hot and humid conditions (HH). AV increases notably under HH as compared with cold and sub-arid conditions (LL) by 11.5% and 28.4% under the control treatment and application of 150 kg N ha−1, respectively in rice fields while it is most substantially under maize (52.5%) with application of 150 kg N ha−1. The ratio of change in AV between soil grades 3 and 1 (potential AV >1.0 and < 0 cmol kg−1) is significantly greater for wheat and rice (2.5%) than for maize (1.9%). The strategy of reducing N rate is more effective for maize and rice than wheat, where applying N at a rate of 150–220 kg N ha−1 to them has similar effects to applying 300 kg N ha−1 to wheat. For wheat and maize, urea should be partially substituted with organic amendments, while improved urea is the preferable N source for rice. Subsurface application has competitive efficacy, especially for maize, and higher N rates. Applying inhibitors achieves the highest AV reduction, especially with rice under various conditions, creating more actively options for future research to increase applicability. Image 1 • About 7.62 Tg N–NH 3 from main staple crops in China was indicated using CMA outputs. • Higher AV from maize fields than wheat and rice by (95% CI = 12.8 and 18%) even without N applications. • AV under maize and rice is higher under warm-humid conditions than cold-dry but wheat showed reverse response. • Improved urea and inhibitor usage is optimum strategy in reducing AV especially under rice. • Organic amendments, mulching and subsurface application are efficient strategies in reducing AV for wheat and maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]